Alliance for Justice Praises Letter from 52 Members of Congress Calling for Investigation of Clarence Thomas' Disclosure Lapses

Washington, D.C., November 18, 2011—Alliance for Justice today expressed strong support for a letter sent by 52 members of Congress, spearheaded by Reps. Louise Slaughter and Earl Blumenauer, calling on the U.S. Judicial Conference to investigate possible violations of the Ethics in Government Act by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The letter echoes a similar request from Alliance for Justice and Common Cause made on October 5, 2011.

Justice Thomas has been accused of violating the provisions of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 governing the disclosure of personal financial information. It is known that between 1997 and 2007 Justice Thomas checked the box ‘none’ for spousal income on his annual financial disclosure forms, despite the fact that Virginia Thomas earned income from several organizations during this time period, including the Heritage Foundation.  Information acquired by AFJ and Common Cause showed that Virginia Thomas received over $1.6 million in income during that period. Although the disclosure forms do not require that the amounts of spousal income be revealed, the fact of her employment should have been reported.

Additionally, new evidence developed by Alliance for Justice shows that the Justice’s claim that his inaccurate filings were due to a misunderstanding of the form cannot be reconciled with the fact that he had correctly filled it out during his government service beginning as early as 1987 when he worked as chairman of the EEOC and including the first five years of his service on the Supreme Court.

Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron praised the congressional letter, saying, “We are heartened by the willingness of members of Congress to draw attention to what appears to be a significant breach of the law. The faith of the American people in our most important judicial institution hangs in the balance. It’s time for those with responsibility for enforcing the ethics rules to take their role seriously and conduct a thorough investigation. As the congressional letter correctly states, ‘No one should be above the law, especially those chosen to uphold it.’”

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Extensive background materials on Supreme Court ethics rules, current controversies, and the Disclosure Act are available for download at www.aquestionofintegrity.org. The issue is also discussed in AFJ’s new short documentary film, A Question of Integrity: Politics, Ethics, and the Supreme Court, which can be viewed online.

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Alliance for Justice is a national association of over 100 organizations, representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. AFJ works to ensure that the federal judiciary advances core constitutional values, preserves human rights and unfettered access to the courts, and adheres to the even-handed administration of justice for all Americans. It is the leading expert on the legal framework for nonprofit advocacy efforts, providing definitive information, resources, and technical assistance that encourages organizations and their funding partners to fully exercise their right to be active participants in the democratic process. AFJ is based in Washington, D.C.